Bungie is set to unveil more details about its highly anticipated PvP extraction shooter, Marathon, with an exciting gameplay livestream scheduled for this Saturday, April 12 (or Sunday, April 13, depending on your global location).
Last week, the creators behind Destiny sparked intrigue with a cryptic tweet featuring a peculiar 15-second video, instantly igniting a frenzy of fan detective work as part of an "extensive alternative reality game." Fans quickly deciphered that the ASCII art contained "a snippet of footage from the initial trailer," with keen observers spotting "the runner sprinting down a hall from the trailer."
Another fan decoded the message: "WHEN WILL HE RETURN ERROR ERROR ERROR HAS OCCURRED THE ENEMY RETURNED SYSTEM WARNING: PROTOCOL BREACH EVACUATE THE BASE IMMEDIATELY ALL UNITS REPORT TO STATION INITIATE EMERGENCY PROTOCOL 7 DATA LOSS IMMINENT GOOD LUCK, COMMANDER.""Thousands of community members across the world worked together to unlock the gameplay reveal date for Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter Marathon," Bungie announced, confirming the livestream for this weekend at 10 am PDT (San Francisco) / 1 pm EDT (New York) / 6 pm BST (London) / 7 pm CEST (Berlin/Paris) / 9 pm GST (Dubai) or on Sunday, April 13 at 2 am JST (Tokyo) / 3 am AEST (Sydney) / 5 pm NZST (Auckland).
Marathon was revealed in May 2023 as a reboot of the classic Bungie franchise, incorporating themes of "mysteries, eeriness, and psychological creepiness." Set on the enigmatic planet of Tau Ceti IV, players will embody Runners, cybernetic mercenaries engineered to withstand the planet's brutal conditions. As they explore the ruins of a lost colony, players will hunt for valuable loot, including new weapons and gear.
Since its initial unveiling, updates have been scarce. A development update video in October shed light on Marathon's mechanics, but Bungie emphasized the game's early development stage.
In the broader gaming landscape, Sony's recent decisions reflect a shift in strategy. Following the abrupt cancellation of the live-service shooter Concord, Sony president Hiroki Totoki announced in November 2023 that the company was committed to launching just six of the 12 live service games it was working on by March 2026, which included the cancellation of The Last of Us multiplayer game.
Bungie has faced its own set of challenges. In July 2024, the studio laid off 220 staff members, representing 17% of its workforce, following 100 other layoffs at Bungie less than a year prior. Additionally, former Marathon director Chris Barrett was allegedly fired after an internal misconduct investigation, leading to Barrett subsequently suing Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bungie for more than $200 million.
To catch the Marathon reveal live, tune in to the official Marathon Twitch channel on April 12.
